Life At the US Airways Center

Late Night Blogging

2006-11-16T22:49:00.000-07:00

Amare' Stoudemire hangs out with Jamie Morris, the co-host of our Nothin' But Net web show. (NBAE Photos)

Really wanted to go ahead and get this blog entry here up and posted. I need all the points I can in each of my classes right now as we get down to crutch time, and am hoping this makes up for a few of my less than lackluster performances.

There really isn’t much to say to be honest. I posted about Phoenix’s win over Memphis on the Suns.com Web site and the Suns haven’t played a game since. Things have been quiet at the US Airways Center minus the grand appearance of Barbara Streisand. Man oh man, I’ve never seen them take such precaution with an individual. Now granted, I’ve never been near the President, but the arena has been turned upside down thanks to Babs. Some of the guys and I who work at the arena even had to go through a medal detector today because, “Barbara was in the building.”

Anyway, it’s unfortunate, but Barbara marks about all the excitement we’ve had there this week. Last night was the Celebrity Waiters Event which was pretty fun. The players take on the role of waiter for the evening and serve guests at a ritzy restaurant - good stuff. The best part is all the money goes to kids who want to play in organized basketball leagues but can’t afford it. We filmed our weekly Nothin' But Net show from the event and it turned out pretty well despite some technical difficulties.

The Suns are great about giving back to the community. Last week I hung out with a few of the guys as they took kids to school and just a week later they’re back at it again. Now a lot of people will say with the money NBA players make, they should give a lot back to the community. While I agree, the bottom line is these guys don’t have to give anything. The fact that they do should be appreciated, not viewed with a crooked eye.

As I’ve learned, each of the players kind of have their own causes they like to raise money for. Steve Nash is really about the kids while last season, Brian Grant really seemed to reach out to the homeless. With the holidays approaching, there really isn’t a better time to reach out to the community.

On to basketball, the Suns take on the Sixers tomorrow night. Allen Iverson, one of the best the NBA has to offer, will be the focus of attention and deservingly so. That guy is a warrior on the court. He’ll play with two broken ankles, I really believe that. Chris Webber is probably their second best player but he’s always banged up. Kyle Korver is a solid outside shooter but pretty one dimensional. Anyway, I predicted a five-game win streak before the victory over Memphis so don’t need to tell you who I’m picking to win this one. With the Suns being the Suns though, I’m sure they’ll make us sweat it out the entire way.

On a final note, the blog on Suns.com is getting a lot of feedback which is great. Good or bad, feedback means people are reading, and the fact I’m getting some compliments really makes it worthwhile. Suns fans are generally good people with good intentions. In a few other cities, fans will curse you out just to curse you out. Now I like to argue as much as the next guy, but I don’t get raging mad about it. As Charles Barkley says, “There are no sports experts, just guys who analyze sports.” So when people get so mad in arguing one player is better than the next, it’s kind of ridiculous to me.

I’ll end there. Got a long day ahead tomorrow (another 8:30 game, hooray) and want to make sure I’m well rested. Go Suns!

Slow Start No Reason To Worry

2006-11-09T22:43:00.000-07:00

Newest Sun Jalen Rose embraces with former teammate and my favorite player of all-time, Reggie Miller - who I happened to meet for the first time tonight just before tipoff. (NBAE Photos)

Well I’m sitting at my desk right now, scrambling to get this blog posted before I need to record the Mike D’Antoni postgame press conference. All postgame press conferences are available to view live on Suns.com by the way.

These late night games are the worst. The guys and I have usually been here since early this morning and won’t get out until maybe a half hour after the game ends (that’s on a good night), so you can imagine our feelings about these 8:30 starts. On the bright side, however, the atmosphere in the arena is always better when you’ve got TNT or ESPN in the house. Closest thing you can get to the playoffs in November.

Speaking of playoffs, the Suns haven’t looked like a team worthy of an appearance in the early going, but I’m not ready to panic. In fact, you can read all about my feelings towards the slow start on my latest Suns blog entry. I also discuss their latest acquisition in veteran Jalen Rose who signed just this past week.

The Suns.com blog has definitely kept me busy and I want to thank my professors Carol and Nancy for helping make it possible. Blogging was something I always wanted to try my hand at, but I probably wouldn’t have done it were it not a class requirement. I seem to be getting a good amount of responses on the site which is awesome and hope to have some positive things to say about the team here shortly.

Suns are in a close one against the Mavs as we speak, and it’s needless to say the Suns haven’t faired well in close games so far this season. I remember last year they just couldn’t seem to win a game by four points or less. They’ve had a few opportunities here in the early going to get that monkey off their back but just haven’t been able to capitalize.

Be sure to check back soon as I will continue blogging away.

Live N Die In LA

2006-11-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Tim Thomas is interviewed by several members of the media, including a very handsome Suns employee by the name of Brad G. Faye. (Jeramie McPeek/Suns Photos)

Man, by the time this week is over the favorite movie for the Phoenix Suns will have to be, "Escape From L.A." I mean, I know the guys probably love life out in Los Angeles, but enough's enough. The schedule makers were crazy this year on the Suns. Four of their first games in five nights??? I've never seen that in my life.

The guy's won't use excuses though and some are really playing through some pain. Shawn Marion is having back problems but like he said himself, "If I can walk, I can play." He's not only been able to walk, but is off to a great start.

The blogs are up and running for me on Suns.com. I really was in love with the multitasking idea of using the same blog for both class and the Web site, but something about that didn't sit well with me. I think I'll just shorten the length of these blogs here and create a link for the extended blog at Suns.com. I think you'll be able to see by the length of my first two entries that I'm doing anything but slacking.

For my last blog entry on the site, I talked about the loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. "Life At the US Airways Center" readers are getting a special treat, however, being the Suns have since won their first game of the season. The victory also came against Los Angeles, this time in the form of the Clippers. Tim Thomas made his return to Phoenix and the boo birds were definitely out for the occasion. I know I gave the guy a hard time with my first entry here, but I don't know if he's "boo worthy." The guy came in, left nothing on the court and was a large reason the Suns made it to the Western Conference Finals. The argument could even be made that if it wasn't for Thomas, the Suns would have set in their opening round series against the Lakers. Look, I thought the guy leaving was wrong too, but let's really analyze the situation. The Suns gave him a one-year deal and he honored that contract to the fullest. He doesn't owe the organization anything thereafter. If the guy had come in and played terrible, do you think the Suns would have given him a lengthy extension because he tried? Tim Thomas left the Suns for money, but how many people haven't left their job for one which paid more? These guys are human beings, tempted by the same things as everybody else. The only problem I have with Thomas was all his talk about the money not meaning anything to him and him wanting to play for an NBA Championship. That bothered me, but I don't think that's why the thousand or so fans who booed him every time he touched the rock were on his case for the full 48-minute affair.

Fans are entitled to their opinion though and they're going to react the way they want to react. All I ask is that they think it through first. Tim Thomas was a cool guy from day one in the Valley. Everybody in the organization enjoyed having him and the fans definitely couldn't complain about what he did for the team on the court. As an employee of the Phoenix Suns, I have certain responsibilities when at the game which force me to separate myself as a fan. Among those responsibilities are not yelling like a fool or booing whenever I so desire. Now had I gone to the game as a fan, and not an employee, I can't say for sure what my reaction to Thomas would've been. I suppose I just expect there to be people out there more responsible than I am.

Great News!

2006-10-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Two of the guys who hate Kobe Bryant most in the world - Brad Faye and Raja Bell - chat it up during Suns practice. (Jeramie McPeek/Suns Photos)

Received some great news over the weekend and couldn't wait to share it with my millions of fans here on my "Life At the US Airways Center" blog site (okay so mainly my professors will get to read this).

Jeramie McPeek my boss with the Suns and fellow blogger for the Web site (check out his stuff from the team's trip to Italy) recently stumbled across my class blog while searching the web. He said he read my latest entry then worked his way downward until reading the whole thing. Anyway, he really enjoyed reading it and asked if I would keep a blog for the Suns.com Web site. Of course I accepted and should now be killing two birds with one stone (wow, that's kind of a messed up expression when you think about it) by getting class work and work work done at the same time.

Anyway, I'm really excited as this is something I've wanted to do for a long time. Patience pays off, it really does. I remember when I started with my high school newspaper with Mr. Jeras as my teacher. I was covering volleyball and hating every minute of it. My aspiration was to cover baseball, football, basketball; sports I actually enjoyed, but as a student on the bottom of the food chain, it didn't really matter what I wanted. My senior year that all changed when Mr. Jeras did something he had never done before. He allowed a student to write their own column despite the fact he or she was not an editor. I wrote two columns my senior year actually, sports and entertainment. Good times.

Anyway, the point I'm getting at is despite being as impatient as I am, it really does pay off sometimes. Before I go, I'll leave you with a sneak peak to my first Suns.com blog entry prior to editing:

While I've had few regrets since accepting an internship with the Phoenix Suns before the 2005-06 campaign, one thing that has always bothered me was not keeping a personal journal throughout what proved a truly memorable season. To have chronicled everything from that double-overtime loss on opening night to Raja Bell’s Game 5 shot against Los Angeles, would’ve certainly have given me something to treasure. While I doubt this year will hold a candle up to last (barring fancy jewelry at season’s end of course), one thing I said I would not tolerate is making the same mistake twice.

Hence when my Online Media class required us to keep a weekly blog from the start of the semester on, there was no question my topic would be the boys in purple and orange. The team which I somehow found myself a fan of while living in Brooklyn, New York (can you imagine the garbage I had to take?) to landing a dream job with more than a decade later. I submitted my subject matter immediately and my professor said she looked forward to seeing it.

Multitasking is huge for me and to be doing something I wanted to do anyway AND have it credited as homework was almost as solid as a victory over San Antonio. From that day forward, I blogged my friends. I blogged day and night on everything from interviewing Jumaine Jones fresh off his signing to keeping Head Coach Mike D’Antoni updated on the Mets score as the Suns prepared for a preseason contest against Sacramento (the Suns coach is a Mets fan, isn’t life grand?).

Recently, Jeramie McPeek, whose blog you have come familiar with since the 2006 NBA Playoffs, stumbled across my work while online and said he really enjoyed what I had to say. He asked if I’d be interested in keeping a blog throughout the 2006-07 NBA season - an offer which I accepted before the offer had even been completed. I mean come on, if I love multitasking, can you imagine my excitement at the concept of keeping a blog (my original intent anyway), while getting credit for both class work AND work work at the same time??? That might be even better than a victory over San Antonio (it’s close though, it’s very close).

So throughout the year I’ll try keeping in touch as often as possible and give some insight to life inside the location which has become a second home - the US Airways Center.

Back In Business

2006-10-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

Posted 10/17/06

The Suns are finally back in the United States (I have the shot glasses to prove it) so it’s back to life as usual at the US Airways Center. Well, sort of usual anyway (I don’t know how usual it is showing up to work and watching the Gorilla film a commercial with the Arizona State Lottery mascot, but you get the point).

The reviews from the trip were positive and it seems to have been a really good experience for the guys. How that bonding translates to the court only time will truly tell. Bottom line is, does Phoenix Suns basketball really matter right now when the Mets are one night away from a National League Championship Series Game 7? Not to downplay my boys in purple, but I’m a baseball fan at heart. I grew up a Suns fan, not necessarily a fan of basketball. I am, however, a huge fan of baseball.

Don’t get me wrong, I bleed NBA basketball. I grew up writing all my little prognostications and players to watch, I was all about it. But the bottom line is, I can’t go and watch amateurs play basketball on the street. I can watch just about anybody play baseball though. I love the game and the Mets playing in October is as good as it gets.

While watching the crucial Game 6 tonight I did manage to correlate the play of the Mets to the play of the Suns. Up 4-0 in the eighth, I found myself rooting against the Mets from scoring any more runs in the inning. When my father questioned that, I explained how many times I’ve seen a team blow out another team just to come out flat the following contest. Not a knock on last year’s Suns specifically, but I see it all the time. It’s something that’s stood out to me ever since the 2004 American League Championship Series. Already up 2-0 against the Boston Red Sux (not a typo), the Yankees blew them out in Game 3 to take a seemingly commanding 3-0 series lead. The Yanks really poured it on in the contest to the tune of a final 19-8 score. For those who don’t recall the way the rest of the series went (and I commend you if you don’t), the Red Sox not only came out and won the next game, but won the series as well.

And while that series stung like you will never believe, it’s not as if I’ve always made the connection to it ever since. A number of times I’ve seen a team blow away an opponent and just come out flat afterwards. It’s happened to everybody and it isn’t something you can seemingly coach as it’s happened to some of the best in the business.

Anyway, no worries as the Mets did not score any more runs in the inning which means only good things can happen in Game 7, right? That is as long as Billy Wagner doesn’t see any playing time. Talk about a waste of money, Willie Randolph could let his millions sit on the bench until the Mets take home the Championship for all I care. As I’ve learned over the years, however, what I care for doesn’t generally mean much for my beloved New York Mets.

The other baseball to basketball connection I made today came when the broadcasters were discussing the importance of confidence. I personally don’t think confidence plays a part in any sport more than it does basketball. In baseball, believing you’re going to knock the leather off a ball doesn’t generally mean much. In basketball, when you’re not missing a shot, it really seems like the hoop has grown three times in size (kind of like the Grinch’s heart). I’m not totally opposed to the idea that confidence plays a factor in baseball, but I think the game is so much more involved than basketball it kind of demeans the sport to say confidence plays a role.

Anyway, I’ve rambled on far too long. I’ve got some big days ahead of me and some major celebrating to do when the Mets close out the series tomorrow with a 6-4 win. Who will be the hero? I’m not sure, but look for something in the David Wright section of the lineup. I’d also like to see the Suns get on a roll here despite the fact I understand how meaningless the preseason is. They’ve got Sacramento tomorrow night so here’s hoping both of my teams will be giving me reason to smile.

Italia!

2006-10-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

Posted 10/05/06

Wow, what a week it’s been. I thought Media Day was going to be crazy. That was nothing compared to the workload of what‘s followed. Everybody’s been working really hard on the Suns.com site and it’s no doubt paid off. Fans are pretty much experiencing Italy as the players do and they certainly seem to appreciate it judging by the amount of hits we’re getting each day.

Media Day was pretty wild. I started off with the assignment of following around and recording Steve Nash, but that only lasted about five minutes. He gave me the okay to follow him and a few moments later I’m getting a call to bail on him and tape our production of Media Day. No complaints though, getting to tape a show that aired live on the web was awesome experience. I was really trusted with the camera and pretty much left alone to tape the show. We got some awesome guests including Mike D’Antoni, Shawn Marion, Amare’ Stoudemire, Raja Bell and lots more. Even the newcomers like Marcus Banks and Jumaine Jones stopped by. Check out the video and let me know how I did behind the camera (be gentle, I’m not a cinematographer). It's the third video from the bottom, I can't seem to link it directly. To fulfill my video link obligations, however, I thought this was pretty funny.

Following the broadcast, everybody boarded the plane and was off for Treviso, Italy. I’ve barely slept since as we’ve constantly updated the site with photos, video and stories. The moments I’m not working on the site from either the office or at home I’m working on school work, so have basically flushed my personal life down the toilet. A co-worker with the Suns called me up on Saturday night saying she and a few people were up at the bar and I should stop by. After having stayed in Friday night and working on the site most of Saturday, I figured a break was exactly what I needed. I told her I’d be there, got on my shoes and then looked at the clock. It was already 11:30 which quickly killed my momentum and had me laying down for bed (I took my shoes off first of course).

Times have changed, they definitely have. A few years ago, I was getting ready to go out at 11:30 - now I’m calling it a night. I’ve got no complaints though. I’m 26 and we’ve all got to grow up sometime (although I will always be a kid at heart). It took my dream job to get me to mature and I have no problems with that. For some people I know, it took jail time or worst to put things into perspective.

The Suns are now in Rome and will then travel to Cologne, Germany before returning home. It is then Jeramie McPeek will shower me with magnificent souvenirs from his voyage. McPeek was a guest on my favorite radio program today, Gambo and Ash, and was even nice enough to give me a shout out. No boss has ever shown more appreciation to his employees than Jeramie and no boss has ever shown that appreciation on the air.

Can’t wait for the season to start. While my body can definitely wait, the kid inside me is thrilled that we’re so close. The scheduling is a bit ridiculous this first month. We play the Lakers twice during preseason and again opening night. The league is no doubt trying to built up that rivalry we have with Los Angeles and nothing adds fuel to the fire more than consecutive contests against one another. I think the NBA tried doing something similar with the Lakers and Kings a few seasons back. I don’t have a problem with this, rivalries are great for the sport. When fights break out, however, don’t act like it’s such a shock and you had no idea this was going to happen. The team’s played a brutal seven-game series against one another last year and will face each other twice more before the 2006-07 season even begins. There will definitely be some bad blood.

This time next week I’ll have blogged again and I will hopefully have some cool stories to tell you about Jeramie’s trip to Europe. Guess there’s an interesting story involving the police from earlier today but haven’t yet heard the details. Most importantly, however, the Mets will officially be in the National League Championship Series and ready to bring home the title (or at least bring it to New York, the place which is still my home at heart). I’ll keep you posted.

It's Only A Day Away

2006-09-28T22:27:00.000-07:00

Posted 9/28/06

We're going to keep this short and sweet. Not because I'm not in the mood to write a lot (I think everybody can see from prior blogs I love to ramble on), but because tomorrow I'll actually have something well worth blogging about - Phoenix Suns Media Day.

Tomorrow is a huge day for the Phoenix Suns as it will be the first time they all report to the US Airways Center to meet with the media. To those who may not understand what Media Day is, picture the Media Day they have for the Super Bowl. You've got a ton of reporters and each player stops and makes nice with each of them to help on whatever stories they'd like to do before the start of the season. This year's will be a little bit more hectic as the team will depart for Italy at the end of the festivities meaning we'll be without new material for about three weeks. So basically, everybody will be trying to get three weeks worth of stories into a few little hours - should be fun.

As of now my assignment may be to follow Steve Nash around for the day and give fans his perspective of Media Day. It's a walk in the park compared to what I did last year. I was new to the Suns during the 2005 Media Day and hadn't even met any of the players yet. So they're all down on the court and boss Jeramie (although he's way too cool to call him 'my boss') tells me to, "Go down there and get some stuff from the players about how it feels to be back after the summer." Keep in mind, before my job with the Suns, I had never interviewed an athlete beyond the high school level. Now I'm going up to NBA All-Stars and making small talk? I was nervous to say the least.

But like I was saying today, I think the whole "star blinding experience" of working for the Suns has passed now. I no longer get that feeling of anxiety of talking to one of the guys and see this as more of a job now - something I view as both a good as well as a bad thing. It's unfortunate because it was kind of cool to be interviewing a player and be thinking, "Wow, I am interviewing Shawn Marion right now. This is crazy!" while pretending to be keeping it cool. I think it's a positive, however, because I'll be more focused and therefore be able to produce better work. Although I wouldn't be surprised if come tomorrow all this talk about being calm and cool now goes right out the window. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Finally, I'd like to say an "off"season of hard work has finally paid off as the new material we've been working on is being posted onto the Suns.com Web site. Everybody with Suns.com really worked their butts off this summer and I think it shows. We've got a ton of international stuff the team has done in the past (1990 trip to Japan, 1993 trip to Germany, ect., ect.) and a really cool map which reveals some interesting historical facts about Italy. There's also a great gallery of Mike D'Antoni and his wife Laurel - who was very helpful in putting everything together - in Italy before their eventual journey to Phoenix. Hopefully now all those people who've been asking me, "What do you do for the Suns over the summer, do you just like hang out?" can shut their damn mouths.

Sorry, I don't mean that. Perhaps it's past my bedtime and perhaps I'm already thinking about having my toes stepped on constantly tomorrow in a race to see if STAT's knee is holding-- sorry, there I go again. I'm going to take off but will be sure to fill you in on all the details in what should prove a very eventful day.

Let The Sunshine In...

2006-09-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Posted 9/21/06

Everytime I feel as if I'm grasping the whole computer concept, it's like I take ten giant steps back. Pretty sad for a guy who works for a Web site, huh? I've finally come to the conclusion of what the heck it is that's wrong with me. I want to be so good at so many things, I don't think I focus the proper amount of time and energy into each and every one. Instead I try speed learning each and assuming I'll be an expert on each by the time it's all said and done.

I shot some footage of Suns practice today for the first time. Not bad but not good for somebody who is really interested in filmmaking. The crutch I'll use is the fact that Phoenix plays at about a thousand miles per minute and it's kind of hard to keep up. If I was working for the Detroit Pistons, I'm sure I'd be in the running for videographer of the year.

Writing and video are the two passions I would most like to pursue but there are so many other things out there I would just love to be skilled at. We were learning Photoshop in class and it really was love at first sight. I wanted to be a whiz at the program and saw how many posibilities existed if I could master it. At the same time, we're also learning how to set up web pages which is huge for an independant worker like myself. I know the right thing to do is pick the one thing I'm most passionate about and give it a hundred percent (a hundred and ten percent is not possible for anybody, I hate that expression). Stay tuned to see if that ever happens.

Being this is a sports blog I guess I should quit the whining and moaning and talk sports (after all, there's no crying in baseball, right?). I wanted to talk about the Suns practice today as more and more guys are beginning to report for workouts. Raja Bell was there today (hella cool guy) as was Kurt Thomas (also a class act). The Matrix himself has also reported and between those three, Marcus Banks and Steve Nash, the scrimmage was certainly more entertaining today than it has been the past week and a half.

The Pacific Division is shaping up to be quite an interesting division this upcoming season - especially considering Ron Artest has guaranteed the Kings will win the NBA Championship. I personally think a better guarantee would've been for him to say he'll actually play a full season without doing anything stupid, but it is Ron Artest so I've learned to keep expectations to a minimum. The Lakers will be an interesting team but I really like what the Clips did during the offseason and think they will be Phoenix's biggest threat in their race to the division crown. I think signing Tim Thomas to a five-year deal was idiotic, but that doesn't mean he won't contribute this next season. A healthy Corey Maggette along with a more experienced Shaun Livingston help give that team more depth than they've had in years past. Last I checked, those guys also had that Elton Brand guy and he's pretty good too.

There are some great power forwards out there right now. The age of the center may be dead but there are really some power forwards out there doing the damn thing to make up for it. Dwight Howard is a freak of nature and would make any decent team a title contender instantly (too mad he's stuck in the Magic Kingdom). I've said the same thing about him I said about STAT when he first came up - practice your shooting!!! When STAT came up I told everybody he would go down in history as the second greatest power forward of all time (next to Karl Malone) if he could establish himself as a decent outside threat. When Stoudemire did that in 2004-05, he seemed on his way to being a top three player in the NBA. If Dwight Howard can at least make teams consider guarding him outside the paint there will be no stopping that guy. With his freakish build, however, I'm not sure that's a possibility. STAT was a guy I could look at and see no reason he couldn't be a strong shooter. Howard's sixteen foot shoulder length might be great for grabbing 20 boards a contest, but I don't think they help in establishing a smooth jumper.

Elton Brand meanwhile is an absolute monster and Chicago really screwed up when they let him go to Los Angeles (I guess drafting that Jordan guy makes up for it though). Brand can do everything, EVERYTHING! And there aren't a lot of players you can say that about. He's obviously a big body who can block shots and rebound, but the guy also takes smart shots. The all-star shot .527 from the field last season and .775 from the charity stripe (to compare, LeBron James shot .480 from the field and .738 from the free throw line). All that, and Elton Brand can pass the ball too. He's not giving Steve Nash a run for his money or anything, but the guy makes smart decisions and when you're a 6-foot-8 254-pound power forward who makes smart decisions, you're usually destined for greatness.

Dallas has a guy named Dirk Nowitzki who follows a similar scouting report. Big guy, knows how to play the game, knows how to get other players around him involved. No disrespect to Steve Nash, but Dirk was the MVP last season. That guy had no help around him and look at what they accomplished. I'm not screaming foul as what Nash did with a brand new set of teammates and no STAT was incredible but if I had a vote and if I wasn't biased, I'd give it to Nowitzki. I feel Dirk got screwed out of the award last season but Mike D'Antoni got hosed on Coach Of the Year to Avery Johnson so I guess it all evens out.

I think those guys were the big three at the position last year but Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim were no chopped liver. I've always been a big fan of Abdur-Rahim's game, that guy just hasn't found himself in a good situation since leaving Vancouver (wow, who'd have thunk it?). My dark horse at the power forward position is Zach Randolph who could really be a force in this league if he gets his head straight and gets some help around him. All these great guys and we haven't even mentioned Stoudemire who will be returning to the court in 2006 as well.

How I went into a positional breakdown of the power forward position, I may never know. It's been a long week though and I'm just glad I'm getting this blog up before midnight (sleep is an absolute must tonight). If you guys want some reading material, we posted my Marcus Banks story on Suns.com. Also some good stuff on two-time MVP Steve Nash who deservingly had his jersey retired by Santa Clara this past week. Enjoy!

Voluntary Workouts Begin

2006-09-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

Posted 9/12/06

I really wanted to get a post up on 9/11 but was just beat last night. This week has really taken its toll on me and it doesn't look as if it'll be getting better any time soon. I did complete my 9/11 ritual, however, in going to church and saying a prayer for those who suffered on that very tragic day - a day which I'm still trying to grasp in a number of ways. I remember my dad waking me up and telling me what had happened and then telling me to go back to sleep. When I woke up again a few hours later (I was 21 at the time so cut me some slack), I had forgotten what he had told me. I turned on my television and you can't imagine my reaction. As a New York native, I love the city more than any individual can love a hometown. I love the people, I love the culture and of course, I love the food. Seeing how people pulled for each other made me proud not only as an American, but as a New Yorker which I think made me even prouder. We were a different breed to begin with and I think 9/11 just brought us that much closer. Not to say if a New Yorker cuts me off the next time I'm in the city I won't have words for him or her though.

Now onto sports, more specifically the Suns. Voluntary workouts began this week and it was great seeing some of the guys reporting. Guys like Steve Nash and STAT who most would assume pass up anything voluntary the organization throws their way. Not the case as these guys are both looking to capture a title next season. As are Eric Piatkowski and Marcus Banks who both reported as well. The arrival of the two newcomers gave me my first chance to talk to Banks who I think could be a major part of this team. The guy has one attribute which along with talent are all you really need to be solid in the NBA - desire. The guy wants to play well, he wants to improve and unfortunately, that's not always the case nowadays with professional athletes. I do think, however, it's what separates the men from the boys. Those like Tom Brady, Derek Jeter and LeBron James aren't satisfied with being solid contributors to their respected teams, those guys want to be the best in their respected leagues and I think that's why they've enjoyed the success they've had. Brady could've won a few rings, inked a great deal and suffered a blow to his motivation. His desire for success simply did not allow that.

I also think Banks will be a contributor based on what the second unit will now look like. Barring what Mike D'Antoni does with Kurt Thomas and Boris Diaw (I think only one will start) - you've got one of the two taking the court with Marcus Banks, Leandro Barbosa, Eric Piatkowski and one of the James boys. I think D'Antoni will definitely be able to put a little more faith in that lineup than the secondary unit of last season. Those options in fact are what has me most excited about the Suns as they prepare for the 2006-07 campaign. The Suns have options - including the option to go big. A lineup with Marcus Banks, Raja Bell, Kurt Thomas, Jumaine Jones and James Jones has the potential to be one of the best defensive units in the league. This is without considering the option you can also throw All-Star Shawn Marion into the mix time and time again.

I knew in 2005 we would not be able to get passed the San Antonio Spurs before the playoffs even began. Heading into 2006 with a stronger front court I thought we had a chance to defeat them. Now with what the Suns have done in preparation for 2007, I expect the Suns to beat the Spurs. For the first time in ages we actually have the weapons to stop Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili who have torched us time and time again in the past. A healthy Kurt Thomas can slow down Duncan and double teams from Jumaine Jones or James Jones will certainly help. Will they beat the Spurs should they meet in the 2007 postseason? That's why they play the games my friend. Besides, we're talking about voluntary workouts here -the postseason is still a long ways away.

The Signing Of Jumaine "Don't-call-me-Jermaine" Jones

2006-09-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Updated from August 31

The Suns made a solid move today in signing veteran forward Jumaine Jones. I had my best opportunity to watch JJ in action a couple seasons ago when he played with a Lakers squad which at the time was in disaray. I experienced a lot of joy watching that Lakers team struggle (no offense to JJ or Rudy T.), but I did remember Jones always seeming to be a rare bright spot for them.

Jones is a big man with the ability to shoot from the outside - a match made in heaven for the Suns if you ask me. The Suns needed to get bigger inside this offseason - check. The Suns needed to keep with the scheme which got them to the Conference Finals two straight seasons - check. The best part is the fact this all came in one nice package which didn't require the Suns organization to break the bank.

Jones signed for the league minimum with the Suns, claiming that with winning his priority, he had no problem taking the "pay cut." A versatile forward not concernd with financial gain - hmmm, sounds frightfully familiar if you ask me.

I had the opportunity to interview Jones one-on-one today and he indeed seems like a genuine individual. Unlike his game, Jones is soft spoken and probably does want to get back to the Finals like he did in 2001 with Raja Bell and the Philadelphia 76ers. He's looking forward to playing with a two-time MVP and I'm convinced he'll be a contributor on a title contending ballclub. The guy went off against his former Laker mates last season to the tune of a career-high 31 points and has hit 100 or more shots from beyond the three-point line three times in the past four seasons. Perhaps more importantly, Jones also managed to pull down 376 rebounds last season on a Charlotte Bobcats team which played a much slower game than the Suns. That all said, I can definitely see Jones stepping right in and doing what he needs to in order for this team to again be successful. It's what happens thereafter which has me intrigued.

The last time I heard from Tim Thomas, he was talking about how comfortable he was in Phoenix and how it would be "retarted" to leave such a great organization to start all over again elsewhere. Days later I'm watching a report on ESPN stating Thomas has just inked a five-year deal with the Clippers. A move which left a bad taste in my mouth to say the least.

Tim Thomas is not about winning an NBA Championship. As much as I respect the Clips talent (wow, that's weird to write) and as much as I know they are an up-and-coming ballclub in this league, let's be serious about the situation - they are not even coming close to winning a title in the next five years. Sam Cassell is on his last leg (making me feel incredibly old in the process), Corey Maggette is out of patience (there's only so many trade rumors a guy can take, right?), and Elton Brand just doesn't have enough help elsewhere to keep this team in a title hunt.

To win an NBA Championship, you not only need to be incredibly talented but need everything possible working in your favor. The Suns simply did not have the latter going for them last year and it cost them. The Clippers on the other hand were the beneficiary of an extremely sloppy playoff system and couldn't capitalize. It was a system which the NBA has since rectified and with reason.

Tim Thomas used the Suns for a big pay day which is fine. While it may also be incredibly cliche' to say, the NBA is a business and a business exchange was made between Tim Thomas and the Suns last season. Thomas used the Suns for a big five-year deal and the Suns used Thomas to win playoff games - there's nothing wrong with any of that.

The reason what Tim Thomas did stung, however, was based on how much he sold the story of the power forward with a heart of gold. Now of course Jones can't say publicly, "Yeah, I'm just hoping Mike D. can make me look good so I can break the bank elsewhere." At the same time, it is not unusual for a guy to just say from the beginning that he doesn't want to comment on what he's doing after the season ends and stick to that story.

In reality, Jones will probably enjoy a career year with the Suns under Mike D'Antoni's system before signing with the Knicks for the next eleven seasons. Because D'Antoni is an offensive genius, Jones will profit greatly elsewhere and again - I do not have a problem with that. In the meantime if Jones promises to talk basketball, I will do my part to remember the age old expression, "Fool me once versatile power forward, shame on you. Fool me twice..."

If Jones can learn anything from Thomas I hope it's to talk hoops and not contract extensions from this point on. After all boys and girls, we've got an NBA Championship to win this season.